The Art of Seduction
by EvenAngelsFall22
Summary: With neither willing to bend, who will break first?


Title: The Art of Seduction

Summary: With neither willing to bend, who will break first? A Rory and Logan one-shot.

Author's Note: It's been forever and a day since I've stepped into this category of fanfic and I apologize for that! After struggling with my writing for a bit, and well, like most of you I'm sure, being disenchanted with the show itself for awhile, I took a long hiatus and regrouped. I'm back though, and this is my attempt at getting back into Stars Hollow. As for stories that I've neglected to review in the past few months, I will be getting to that this weekend. And, as you're reading this, I promise you the next chapter of _Operation: Win Lorelai _is being worked on.

This follows no timelines, and may be slightly out of character but after this season, nothing would surprise me anymore. It's just a fun one-shot that was inspired by a conversation I had last night. It is rated M -- and pushing the boundaries of this site slightly, so turn away now if that doesn't interest you.

As always, feedback is always appreciated, but never required!

* * *

…_**The First Night…**_

"Do you take me for granted?"

The question broke through the air after such a long silence that Rory jumped at the voice, nearly knocking the computer off of her lap in the process.

"No," she replied, her eyes sliding from the computer screen to rest on Logan, who was sitting at the edge of the bed that served as her work area for the night. "Why would you ask something like that?" Her eyes darted back to the computer as she caught a spelling error in the article she was proofing. She noted it and continued working.

"Because I think you do." Logan kicked off his shoes and stretched out across the foot of the bed, careful not to disturb any of her papers. "Don't worry, I'm not complaining, I'm just saying, that's all. I don't think it's fair."

"What's not fair?" she murmured, not bothering to look up.

"I've been out of town for almost a week. I got home three hours ago and after giving me a kiss hello you went right back to your work. Not that it wasn't nice, but it wasn't exactly the greeting I was expecting, Ace."

"If I remember correctly, as I was kissing you hello your phone rang and you answered it," Rory said, lifting her eyes to Logan again. "And then you spent the next hour talking to _Colin_ about how attractive the stewardess on your flight home was."

"You could have grabbed the phone from my hand and turned it off," Logan countered.

"You could have not bothered to answer the phone in the first place." Rory closed the laptop and set it on the table next to her. She smiled at him then, and stretched her legs out, nudging his leg with her toes as she did. "But I'm done with work now, and you're off the phone, and I did miss you this week you know."

"Oh I know, I'm not saying you didn't." Logan sighed. "But you didn't exactly greet me at the door wearing nothing but a smile and heels either."

She stared at him for a long moment. "Have you been drinking?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when you went to Stars Hollow for the weekend last month? You were barely inside this apartment and I had you backed up against the wall showing you just how much I missed you."

Rory's cheeks burned as she thought back to that day. "You always do stuff like that though," she argued. "I don't. I'm a good girl! I'm more… subtle," she finished.

"Subtlety's not always best." Logan grinned as he lunged at her from across the bed, scattering papers in his wake and trapping her underneath him. "See?" he whispered, his mouth centimeters from hers. "Tell me that wasn't fun." His lips were on hers before she could answer which was just as well because the moment his tongue sought hers whatever sarcastic retort had been at the tip of it became nothing more bit a distant memory.

Papers crinkled and ripped underneath them and any other time Rory would have moved to save them but Logan held her tight underneath him as he trailed his mouth from hers down her neck and across her collarbone. Her fingers moved to the hair at the base of his neck but as soon as she touched him he was gone. He rolled over onto his side of the bed, pushing the papers to the floor with his feet and smirked at her.

"You, Rory Gilmore, take me for granted," he said again. "And I'm not having it anymore." He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the headboard. "All I'm saying is that you could have been the one to come at me from across the bed, but you weren't."

"I…" she pushed herself up on one elbow and looked at him. Set off by the smirk still on his face, defiance took over her own features and she crossed her arms in front of her. "So what now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "That's up to you. The ball's in your court, Ace." He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Seduce me. Dazzle me. I know you can do it" He settled back into his spot with a wink. "Until then, you know where to find me."

Her jaw tightened as he moved around, making himself comfortable. This wasn't a new fight between them, not that it was actually a fight, but Logan had made it well known that while being with him had changed her in many ways, she was definitely still a 'Mary' behind closed doors. For the most part, he thought it was cute, and he was understanding that she wasn't as brazen as say, Rosemary was, but there were still nights, much like tonight, where he expressed his wishes for more from her.

"You look frustrated there, Ror," Logan noted, jarring her out of her thoughts. "Anything you're willing to do about that?"

"No," she said simply, moving the rest of her work from the bed. "It's getting late, I'm going to go to sleep." She shut off the light next to their bed, encasing them in darkness before she slid over to his side of the bed. "Welcome home, Logan," she whispered just before her lips grazed his neck, nipping the spot just under his left ear. She smiled satisfactorily as his body shuddered slightly and then fell back into her own side of the bed. "Good night."

They went to bed that night, the battle lines drawn down the center of the bed with either planted firmly on either side. Neither of them knew it yet, but a war was brewing, one both would be carefully crafting tactics for and one, both were sure they were going to win.

Until then though, they'd both have to settle for losing.

…**_The Third Night…_**

"Will you stop doing that?"

Rory bit back her smile at the irritation in Logan's voice. "Doing what?" she asked innocently as she turned another page of her book. "Stop reading? No, I can't do that, I have an exam tomorrow."

"Crossing and uncrossing your legs," he said, not bothering to conceal the glare on his face.

She followed his gaze to her legs, bare underneath the skirt she was wearing. They were both in the living room tonight, her studying and him playing pool. She hadn't even realized that she had been moving her legs until he pointed it out to her. The fact that he did however, made her smile a bit more.

She deliberately extended her left leg out slowly and then brought it down, swinging her right leg over it. "Does that bother you?" she asked, turning another page.

"It's distracting," he muttered as he lined up another shot on the table and tried, unsuccessfully to sink the ball. Rory giggled and looked back down at her book, making sure to keep her right leg swinging slightly through the air.

"Sorry," she said airily.

Four nights, and still, neither Rory or Logan had made a direct approach to the other. That's not to say they didn't have their fun though.

The morning after Logan's declaration of "Dazzle me" Rory had done just that. He hadn't been surprised when the night before, she had merely rolled over and gone to sleep, it was a typical Rory-thing to do. When backed into a corner, or forced to step outside of her comfort zone, she often automatically went into defensive mode and this was no different. She was every bit determined to prove to him that her subtle suggestiveness was just as effective as his blatant come-ons, if not more so.

He had slept in the next morning, claiming jet lag, so she had gotten up and gone to the gym without him. Any other morning, he wouldn't have questioned her breezing back into the apartment after her workout, but that morning he was positive she had done it on purpose. He had come out of the bedroom in time to see her standing in front of the fridge, taking a sip from her water bottle. It was hard not to notice the beads of sweat still standing on her forehead, or the strands escaping from the blue elastic that held most of her hair up off of her face. She walked past him on her way to the shower, barely giving him the chance to react as she sang out a "Good morning Sunshine" and kissed him full on the lips, her hands leaving a lingering trail over his stomach as she sailed into the bathroom, the firm sound of the lock clicking letting him know this was one shower he wasn't invited to.

After that morning it became clear how the game was going to be played and they both played it very well, each having small victories over the other.

Logan would use any excuse to touch her. Running fingers through her hair, across her neck, and down her arms, he merely smiled as each touch caused her to lean into him, sometimes even daring a kiss. Never more than a kiss.

Rory, rose to his advances, making sure to press her entire body against him as she brushed past him in the hallway, or leaned over him to retrieve the remote control from the opposite end of the couch. She was careful to let her hair sweep over his arm as she did so, knowing he could smell her perfume.

They were small battles of course, most of them ending in a draw, with each claiming victories here and there, hollow as they were.

Logan was determined not to lose this round but as he missed his fourth shot in a row he knew it was a possibility. It wasn't just the incessant crossing and uncrossing of her legs, but there was the added visual of her twirling a strand of dark hair around her finger as she read. She didn't even know she was doing it, and that's what got to Logan. It had now been close to two weeks since he had done more than kiss his girlfriend and if she was this sexy while being unaware of it, God only knows what would happen when she became intentional with it.

He sighed, swearing under his breath as the pool stick scratched against the green felt and he missed a fifth shot.

Rory heard the hushed cursing and tried not so smile. She moved to cross her legs once more but decided against it. The air in the room was already thick with tension as it was and she knew she was winning. There was no need to provoke him into doing something that could change that. Without lifting her head up from the book she looked over at Logan and was surprised to see him staring back at her. She was no stranger to the look in his eyes and knew he was close to breaking. _What the hell?_ she thought to herself, as she closed her book and set it aside. _May as well end this tonight. _

Slowly, with great precision and purpose, she uncrossed her legs once more and stood up from her spot on the couch. Stretching her arms out in front of her she walked across the room to where Logan was standing and leaned over his shoulder. "You want something to drink?" she asked sweetly, smiling the pool stick clattered against the table. "I was just on my way to the kitchen," she explained. She shrugged when he didn't answer her and started to walk away. She gave a small shriek as his hand caught her wrist and pulled her back to him. The sound died on her lips as his own crashed against her in a way they never had before. He forced her mouth open, his tongue sweeping against her teeth before delving deeper and his hand fisted in the hair at the nape of her neck.

She pushed back against him, fighting, but it was a token resistance and they both knew it. His hand dropped from her hair to join the one at her waist and he forced her backwards until she collided with the pool table before lifting her up to rest on it. Her skirt shifted higher on her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him and his hands pushed underneath the thin tank top she wore, skimming over her ribcage as he continued his assault on her mouth.

He was surprised though. Rory gave back as good as she was given, that was clear as the fingers of one hand hooked around his belt, drawing him closer into her as the nails on the other sunk into his back. Her hips moved against him in a way he had never dreamed she would and he was seconds from ridding them both of their clothing before he remembered his purpose and pulled away abruptly. In the midst of her confusion he picked up his pool stick again and lined up another shot. He looked at her, breathing hard and disheveled on the edge of the pool table, and grinned widely.

"A beer would be great, thanks," he said easily as he sunk his first ball in the corner pocket.

She stared at him for a moment, her mouth falling open and closing several times before she slid off of the pool table and straightened her clothes.

He made another shot and winked at her retreating figure as she headed towards the kitchen. "All you have to do is ask!" he reminded her cheerfully, laughing as the expected "_Ass!" _floated back at him.

And just like that, their game was tied.

…**_The Fifth Night…_**

Victory for Logan was short lived though, and Rory's revenge smelled of vanilla and was, in Logan's opinion, just plain unfair.

The day had been exhausting for the two of them and Logan had hoped that by not instigating anything over the course of the evening, that Rory would follow suit and they could go to bed peacefully tonight and resume their battle in the morning. His hopes were dashed brutally though, when Rory emerged from her nightly shower and joined him in the bedroom. He was going over some papers Mitchum had sent over and asked her if she minded him finishing them before turning off the lights for bed.

"That's fine," she said with a small smile and dropped her towel to change into her pajamas. Tonight she chose a blue silky number that matched her eyes perfectly. He could recall peeling away from her on more than one occasion. He coughed slightly and lowered his gaze back to the papers as he desperately tried not to watch her shake the remaining water from her hair. He didn't look up when she settled herself next to him on the bed. _So far so good_, he thought to himself.

The mattress bounced slightly as she began to shake something in her hand and Logan's mouth went dry when he realized what she was about to do. His eyes were fixated on her as she stretched her legs out in front of her, bringing one knee up in front of her. Rory uncapped the bottle in her hand and began to carefully massage the lotion into her leg, starting with her toes and working her way up. The scent of vanilla hung heavy in the air and he watched, mesmerized as the white crème disappeared into her equally fair skin.

Rory looked out of the corner of her eyes at him and his eyes shifted down to the papers in his lap. She hid her smile as she painstakingly applied the lotion (specifically bought for tonight of course) to every possible inch of her body that she could reach. Logan did his best not to pay attention as her fingers moved from her toes to her knees and up even farther, disappearing under the dark blue fabric. His ignored her as she swept the lotion down each arm in long slow strokes. His eyes were back on her though as she moved the lotion across her collarbone and her fingertips disappeared once again underneath the fabric. She pretended not to notice him watching her as she slid the thin straps down from her shoulders, one by one, and then turned to face him, one arm draped across her, keeping the fabric in place.

"I can't reach my back," she said simply as she held the bottle out to him. She rewarded him with a smile when he took the bottle from her and she turned away from him again, dropping her arm from across her chest as she did so. She heard the sharp intake of breath as her back was exposed and smiled to herself.

It was Rory who gasped though, when Logan slid his hands over her shoulders and neck before continuing down her back, his long fingers digging small circles into her skin as he worked the lotion into her. Her eyes closed and she wasn't sure if she was falling back or if he was pulling her against him, but either way her back was tight against his chest and his breath was in her ear as his fingers worked back up her shoulders and down the swell of her breasts. A moan escaped her lips before she could stop it and Logan took it as invitation to capture the tip of her ear between his teeth, sucking lightly. She gasped again and pulled away long enough to twist back to face him once more. She wasted no time in throwing her leg over his. They were pressed skin to skin for the first time in too long as she straddled him and need was dark in both of their eyes as they stared at each other for a long moment before she dipped her head down to kiss him again.

For the first time in days there was no struggle for power, no battle for the upper hand, it was just the two of them, matching each other want for want, need for need and enjoying every second of it.

It still wasn't enough, for either of them, but even as he rolled her over and his hands teased at places they hadn't been in what seemed like forever, neither was willing to give in first. Both remained silent as their movements became bolder, more frantic as each dared the other to speak first.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" Logan's words were strangled as his forehead pressed against hers. "Rory, just give in. It's easy. One sentence, that's all I'm asking for. Tell me you want me." His mouth found hers again in a desperate attempt to break her and his breath caught in his throat as she pulled away slightly, the palm of her hand resting flat against his chest.

"Logan," her own voice was raspy as she spoke and he looked down at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"If it's so easy, you say it."

He groaned in frustration and rolled off of her, the mood sufficiently broken for the night. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And yet you still want me," she shot back in a voice he could only describe as sweetly acidic. She slid the straps of her nightgown back up her arms and threw the covers back, getting underneath them and turning away from him. "Turn the light off when you go to sleep. Sweet dreams Logan."

He turned the lamp off moments later and settled into bed himself. They slept back to back that night, though neither really slept. And while the game was back in Rory's favor, she really wasn't sure that she was winning anymore.

…_**The Seventh Night…**_

Rory waited for Logan to unlock the apartment door before brushing past him angrily and storming inside. She threw her purse across the room. It narrowly missed the bar, falling safely onto the couch instead. She crossed the room in long strides, kicking her shoes off as she did, releasing the clip from her hair and throwing it to lay next to her purse. She slammed her way into the bedroom only to reemerge seconds later. She shoved two pillows at Logan and informed him irately that he was sleeping on the couch that night. She stalked off then to take a shower, leaving him alone in the living room.

He chuckled as he went to the bar and poured himself a drink. It was rightfully so that he was banished to the couch tonight, as he had taken their game to inappropriate measures.

He had known it would be dangerous before he had put his plan into motion, but after the last two days Rory had put him through, he wasn't out to seduce her, he was just plain out for revenge.

Sure, there had been moments in the last 48 hours that he was proud of himself. Like the 15 minutes he kept her in the copy room of the Yale Daily News, reminding her of just how skillful and practiced his tongue really was, but stopping just short of her release and excusing himself with a grin, reminding her of the deadline on his article that she had imposed on him in the first place. She retaliated later that day however, showing _him_ just how skilled and practiced her own mouth could be --- on a cherry red popsicle. This was an entirely new side of Rory he had never seen before, and while he loved how bold she was getting, she still seemed to be missing the point of his original complaint. But she was close, and he was more determined than ever to win.

But still, his latest stunt had gone too far. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought back to the Friday night dinner he and Rory had just endured at her grandparents'. _Poor Rory…_

"_School's going great." Rory answered Emily with a smile before taking a sip from her water glass. "But I will be happy when the semester's done."_

"_I'm sure you will, Dear." Emily smiled at her before turning her attention to the blonde next to her. "Logan, I'm just so pleased you could join us tonight, I'm just sorry Richard couldn't be here. You know how he just loves your crazy stories."_

"_I'll be sure to tell him a good one the next time I see him." Logan assured her good-naturedly. Underneath the dining room table, his hand settled firmly on Rory's knee. He squeezed it comfortingly as he felt her stiffen next to him and then turn to Lorelai and Luke who were seated on the other side of the table. He quickly engaged Luke in a conversation about the diner, all the while slowly inching his hand up her leg. He kept the conversation going smoothly as Rory's own hand gripped his, her nails digging painfully into his skin, trying to stop his journey upwards but failing miserably. He smirked as Emily noted Rory's flushed cheeks and asked her if she was coming down with something. He used his thumb to draw circles on the inside of her thigh and smiled as she struggled to keep her voice from rising as she told the table some anecdote about Paris. And still, as dessert was served, his fingers slid higher, teasing momentarily at the edge of the lacy green thong he had witnessed her slide into as they had gotten dressed earlier in the evening, before daring to slip under the hem._

_Her yelp was louder than he had anticipated and he withdrew his hand quickly, but the look on Lorelai's face as Rory attempted lamely to blame the interruption on dropping her fork into her lap proved that she knew exactly what was going on. Logan behaved through the rest of dinner but the damage was already done, and Rory had barely waited until they were safely inside his SUV before shrilly turning on him and asking what the hell his problem was._

He shook his head again, swirling the ice in his nearly empty glass as he stared at the floor in front of him. Yes, he deserved to sleep on the couch tonight, but he briefly wondered if knocking on that bathroom door and taking her right there in the shower would get him back into their bed. He drained the rest of his glass, knowing that while he would never hear the end of it from her for breaking first, he was more than willing at this point.

Logan got up off of the couch and headed for the bathroom. His hand was raised and poised to knock when the door flew open and he was face to face with Rory, who had abandoned her usual lacy attire in favor of one of his t-shirts. Her hair was damp and curled up at the ends and he smiled at the fact that the only other item of clothing she had on was a pair of socks. She looked damned adorable.

If she was surprised to see him she didn't show it, she merely grabbed the hem of his dress shirt and pulled him into the bedroom with her. He saw a quiet determination in her eyes as she methodically began to undo the buttons on his shirt before pushing it off of his shoulders. It fell to the floor with a soft thud and she began to work on his belt.

Her fingers were shaking. He noticed this as she finally pulled the leather from his hips and he took her hands in his, bringing them up to his face and kissing them both. "Ror-" he stated to speak but she shook her head, silencing him by leaning forward and kissing him. Before he knew it, she had him in only his boxers and flat on the bed as she knelt over him, her knees resting on either side of him and he had no idea how they had gotten into this position.

Rory drew his lower lip into her mouth and sucked lightly before releasing it and raising her head from his. She smiled down at him as she slowly raised her arms to remove the t-shirt from her body. She leaned back down to kiss him.

"You're still sleeping on the couch tonight," she said as she kissed her way down his neck. "But you win."

"I win?" he echoed back, running his hands up and down her back. He hissed as her mouth found that same spot under his ear it had the first night and he waited for her to continue speaking.

"You win," she repeated as she pulled back slightly. 'Believe me, Logan, I'm furious about tonight. I really can't believe you did that, but what's worse is that I can't believe I was trying to figure out a way to get you alone at the house." She shook her head and went on. "And in the car on the ride home, when you suggested we just pull off to the side and end this whole thing right there it took every bit of strength in me to not agree." Logan tried not to smile as he remembered the expletive that very suggestion had gotten him on the ride home. She took a deep breath. "Maybe I do take certain things about you for granted, but you can't ever doubt that I want you, Logan." Her voice was small and quiet as her dark eyes peered deep into his. "I want you, Logan."

Her voice was clear as she spoke this time and he grinned up at her, bringing her face down for another kiss. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, sitting up and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "And I never thought that you didn't."

Hurt and confusion flickered across her face and she bit down on her lower lips. "But isn't that what this has all been about?" She asked.

He shook his head. "You never say it," he explained. "And believe it or not, sometimes a guy likes to hear it." He laughed. "Of course, if I thought you were going to take ten days to say it, I might have come up with a better game plan than this, because well, this week's been hell, Ror."

She laughed along with him. "You have to admit though, it has been fun," she pointed out and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why Lorelai Gilmore, I'm shocked to hear you say that."

"It has been!" she insisted. "But you're right, it's been too long and I'm raising my white flag. Logan Huntzberger, I want and need you right now more than I have ever wanted or needed you before, and I'm not going to take no for an answer." She punctuated the end of her statement with a long hard kiss. Logan was more than happy to oblige her, and they tumbled back onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. Not much time was spent on foreplay, seeing as how the last week and a half had been nothing but, and _finally, _Logan was positioned above her and just about to sink into her when Rory spoke up again.

"Hey wait." Her voice was breathless as she opened her eyes and looked up at him, a slow smile spreading across her already glowing face. "I won, didn't I?"

"What?" He struggled to grasp what she was saying, but his thoughts were scattered at this point. He couldn't believe she wanted to talk now.

"I won," she said again. "When I came out of the bathroom to talk to you, you were already standing at the door ready to come in. _You_ came to me first, I won!"

Logan grinned but refused to answer her. "I'll tell you what," he whispered close to her ear. He bent down to kiss her once more as he simultaneously slid all the way into her. "What do you say we both win?"

"Wonderful idea," Rory gasped as he began moving inside of her though she had every intention of making him pay later for hiding the fact that he had been coming to her to earlier. Those thoughts dissipated quickly though, and while it no longer remained important who won and who lost, one thought held firm in her mind.

He was still sleeping on the couch tonight.


End file.
